ATHENS (AFP)
Greece battled more than 1,200 forest fires in June, more than double the number from the same month last year, the government said Monday.
The country has experienced its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record, with temperatures hitting 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in the first half of June.
Strong winds and drought conditions have fanned fires in recent weeks in the area around Athens, on the island of Chios near the Turkish mainland and in the Peloponnese region south of the capital.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told a press briefing there had been 1,281 fires this June compared with 533 last June.
"This June was the hottest on record, and the forecast for July is similar," he added.
Scientists say climate change makes extreme weather events, including heatwaves, more likely, longer lasting and more intense.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned earlier this month that Greece had "entered the heart of the fire season".
The temperature in parts of the country is expected to climb beyond 40C once again in the coming days.
Greece endured an unprecedented two-week heatwave last year that led to deadly wildfires.